Columbia State Community College’s Lawrence Campus recently hosted an open house event to showcase new equipment and expanded educational offerings as part of the Engineering Systems Technology program.

Columbia State offers both a one-year technical certificate and a two-year Associate of Science degree in EST. The EST program is designed to prepare graduates for many different careers related to manufacturing with an emphasis on technology, critical thinking and problem-solving.

Students enrolled in the EST program take classes online with on-campus lab requirements. The expansion of the EST program to the Lawrence Campus allows for students to participate in on-campus labs closer to home.

During their training, students also have the opportunity to earn industry certifications, such as Smart Automation Certification Alliance certification, OSHA 10 certification and FANUC robotics certification. 

“Columbia State is proud to expand this program to Lawrence County, giving local students the same access as those at our Columbia Campus,” said Dr. Mehran Mostajir, Columbia State dean of the Business and Technology Division and assistant professor of Engineering Systems Technology.

Online classes coupled with hands-on lab work were created with schedule flexibility in mind. Students are able to reserve time to come to the lab on the Lawrence Campus to fulfill the required practical learning elements as part of their coursework. 

Dual enrollment and dual credit learning options are also available for Lawrence County and other regional high schools. 

The new lab features equipment from Amatrol that lets students work on various types of system workstations, including an AC/DC electrical, motor control system, hydraulic instrumentation module, electrical motors and a process control system. 

The new workstations help make coursework applicable to machinery in several fields of work, including programmable logic controllers, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechanical drive systems, electrical and robotics systems and more. This practical learning is also crucial in students’ earning certifications and being prepared for their current or future workplace.

“When you go to some places, they tell you to do this, and you just learn how to do one or two or three things, and that's it,” Mostajir said. “But sometimes, it's good to know the theory behind it. We're not going to go too deep into theory, but enough theory, so that way students can understand better. And if something other than what you have learned happened on the factory floor, then you can actually think and say, ‘Okay, I think now, based on this, I can advise or I can tell you what the problem is.’ And that's one of the major forces behind getting certifications.”

Columbia State’s ability to provide these new workstations and course offerings could not have been done without the partnerships of local governments and industry partners.

Some of those partners and collaborative members include the city of Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County, Lawrence County Schools, General Motors, Nissan, Ultium Cells, Columbia Machine Works, GCP Applied Technologies and many others. 

“When you're looking to grow, you don't just need workers today, even tomorrow; and when you get them tomorrow, you need entities like Columbia State,” said Ryan Egly, Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. “And when companies come and they're looking to establish an operation in Tennessee, especially in Lawrence County, we always think about our partnership at Columbia State and with our local TCATs as well.”

The partnership between Lawrence County and Columbia State dates back to the 1970s and has grown throughout the years. The opening of the Southern Tennessee Higher Education Center in 2021 was another milestone in increasing educational opportunities in Lawrence County and surrounding areas. The expansion of the EST program to the Lawrence Campus is another step in reinforcing that partnership and commitment to the community.

“This is just another exciting step in the process of what that group of people in the Lawrence County Higher Education Committee dreamed about having seven or eight years ago, and building the property, the classes that have continued,” said Jim Cone, chairman of the Lawrence County Higher Education Committee and member of the Lawrenceburg Joint Economic Development Board. “Thanks again to Columbia State for being an outstanding partner for such a long, long time. We look forward to that continuing for years to come.”

The new EST offerings on the Lawrence Campus are part of Columbia State’s commitment to continue to give students, stakeholders and community members a voice in how the college can best expand and adapt to fit the needs of the local area.

“We’re not just an institution planted on a piece of land where people come, learn and leave,” said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. “We are, and must be, a part of the community—that’s central to our mission and to who we are, both personally and professionally. When we look at this campus and how it came to be, we see the contributions of individuals from across the community and the college. It’s truly a collective effort. The way we grow and provide education isn’t just Columbia State’s work—it’s the community’s work. We wouldn’t be here today if, four years ago, a group of community members hadn’t said, ‘We want higher education.’ They built a building, invited Columbia State in, and together, we began a partnership.”